One long day last June, Renee Fenker started work at 6:30 a.m. as a Starbucks store manager in Santa Cruz, Calif. Later that afternoon, on her way home, her emergency pager went off: car crash nearby. She raced straight to the Felton Fire Station, where she assumed her other role as a volunteer firefighter and fire engine driver.

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Within minutes, she was driving a crew of first responders to the scene, eventually taking care of a passenger who’d been injured in the head-on collision, looking after bystanders and cleaning up spilled fuel on the road.

“I just really love to help people,” says Fenker, who started at Starbucks as a 17-year-old barista. &nbsp;

“That’s why I ended up at Starbucks, we really care about who’s on the other side (of the counter). Being a firefighter, being an EMT, it’s being able to get out there and help out someone when they’re having their worst day. We have that ability to create that kindness within our homes, our communities.”

For the last six years, she’s juggled working at Starbucks and volunteering as a firefighter, sometimes doing back-to-back shifts. Her husband, Nathan, is also a Felton volunteer firefighter. Experiences from both jobs have fit together well. She's used the communication and conflict management skills she’s learned at Starbucks to help de-escalate tense situations while responding to 911 calls. During COVID-19, her department has been supporting local shelters and a mental-health facility, helping people in the area prepare their properties for wildfire season and continuing to train new recruits.&nbsp;

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Inspired by Fenker’s efforts and passion, The Starbucks Foundation is supporting the Felton Fire Protection District with a $2,500 grant, which will go towards helping the all-volunteer department continue supporting their community.

Hers is just one story, part of $1 million in Neighborhood Grants ranging from $2,500 to $7,500, which will be distributed to 400 organizations across the United States and Canada. The Starbucks Foundation grants are designed to help build sustained local impact and inspire increased partner volunteerism with nonprofits that work in our communities. The organizations are the third round of recipients to be awarded Neighborhood Grants, which were first announced in the fall of 2019. This round has a focus on COVID-19 community response.

"As we were looking to further support communities impacted by COVID-19, The Starbucks Foundation turned to partners to share the challenges facing their communities,” says Aldrinana Leung, manager, The Starbucks Foundation. “We heard from nearly 3,000 partners&nbsp;who provided insight into the needs&nbsp;in their communities and local organizations working to support their neighbors. These Neighborhood Grants represent thousands of connections and the positive impact our partners make in their communities every day."

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<a href="https://www.domesticshelters.org/help/ky/shepherdsville/40165/the-center-for-women-and-families-bullitt-county">The Center for Women and Families in Shepherdsville, Ky.</a>

Justice Jones, a Starbucks store manager, nominated this organization for helping her leave an abusive relationship. The organization supported her as she was getting a restraining order in court, offered therapy afterwards and helped her build a support system of women who had been through similar experiences.

“They gave me a lot of ease throughout the worst time of my life,” Jones says. “I am incredibly grateful for them.”

The growing economic and emotional toll of the pandemic is likely exacerbating abusive relationships, Justice says, with families increasingly stressed due to unemployment and victims of abuse trapped in close quarters due to quarantine measures.

“The nation as a whole is currently in a much worse place to provide support for victims in these kinds of circumstances,” she says. “So it is more important now than ever to know the resources available and be able and willing to reach out to one another.”

<a href="http://www.batshaw.qc.ca/en">Batshaw Youth and Family Centres Foundation in Montreal</a>

Cassidy Vanderveen, Starbucks store manager, nominated Batshaw, thinking back to her own experience as a homeless teenager, when she slept in parks or on friends’ couches, and showed up at school early to shower and get ready.

“If I had an organization like Batshaw to go to, I strongly believe a lot of things in my life wouldn’t have been so traumatizing,” Vanderveen says. “Everything I did in life had to be the hard way, and it’s exhausting. When you’re a homeless child (on your own), it’s a lot different than being a homeless adult, because these are the years when a parent is supposed to guide you. You’re supposed to be learning life skills, not thrown in to sink or swim.”

Vanderveen, who encounters people who are homeless regularly on the job at Starbucks, is concerned about how COVID-19 is affecting “our most vulnerable humans.”

“When we take care of our most vulnerable, we take care of our society as a whole,” she says. “A team is only as strong as its weakest link, and if COVID has taught us anything, it’s that we need to be coming together as a team to get through this.”

<a href="http://chipsonline.org/">CHiPS in Brooklyn, N.Y.</a>

Ilisa McLachlan manages the Starbucks store located across the street from the nonprofit soup kitchen and women’s shelter. She’s seen firsthand the positive impact it has had on her community and “the level of love and care that they show for everyone that is in need.”

McLachlan remembers the first day her Starbucks opened about two years ago when the executive director and director of food services from CHiPS walked into the store, introduced themselves and immediately offered their support. During the COVID-19 crisis, CHiPS has created a community pop-up food distribution center.

“They are in it for the right reasons,” McLachlan says. “They center everything around making people feel welcome, and talk to all people with respect, even the roughest of the rough. I’ve witnessed how this makes a big difference. That’s why I chose them.”

The Starbucks Foundation: Supporting Community Response and Resilience during COVID-19

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Helping the helpers: Starbucks partners inspire local impact in their communities - Starbucks Stories

Stories to inspire and nurture the human spirit

Starbucks Stories

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Starbucks Corporation

Helping the helpers: Starbucks partners inspire local impact in their communities

Four hundred organizations across the U.S. and Canada, nominated by Starbucks partners who work in their communities, will receive Neighborhood Grants designed to help build sustained local impact.

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Helping the helpers: Starbucks partners inspiring local impact in their communities

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As <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/what-customers-need-to-know-about-starbucks-response-to-covid-19/">Starbucks continues to navigate COVID-19</a>, the company is focused on caring for the health and well-being of partners (employees) and customers and doing&nbsp;its&nbsp;part to support the more than 32,000 communities&nbsp;it&nbsp;serves.

Building on its $7.5 million in donations toward COVID-19 community response to date, today&nbsp;The Starbucks Foundation announced it&nbsp;has selected more than 400 organizations for its third round of&nbsp;Neighborhood Grants&nbsp;across the U.S.&nbsp;and Canada. These donations were informed and inspired by Starbucks partners who highlighted the causes and organizations uplifting their communities during COVID-19.

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The Starbucks Foundation selects more than 400 nonprofits in latest round of Neighborhood Grants - Starbucks Stories

The Starbucks Foundation selects more than 400 nonprofits in latest round of Neighborhood Grants

These donations were informed and inspired by Starbucks partners who highlighted the causes and organizations uplifting their communities during COVID-19.

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The Starbucks Foundation selects more than 400 non-profits in latest round of Neighborhood Grants

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From aiding <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/the-starbucks-foundation-donates-more-than-3m-to-global-covid-19-relief-efforts/">global community response efforts</a> to <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/as-food-bank-need-spikes-starbucks-and-feeding-america-fight-hunger-together/">providing hunger relief</a> to <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-and-operation-gratitude-partner-to-support-front-line-responders/">supporting our front-line responders</a>, The Starbucks Foundation is committed to strengthening humanity by uplifting communities. To date, The Starbucks Foundation has contributed more than $9 million in response to COVID-19, investing in initiatives that extend emergency assistance to those in need while also helping build a path towards recovery and resilience.

Global COVID-19 Response Efforts

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Coffee and Tea Growing Communities

Seattle, WA – Our Hometown

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About The Starbucks Foundation

The Starbucks Foundation strengthens humanity by transforming lives across the world, with a focus on enabling community resiliency and prosperity and uplifting communities affected by disaster. Established in 1997, The Starbucks Foundation is a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization under U.S. law. Learn more at <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/starbucks-foundation">https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/starbucks-foundation</a>.

The Starbucks Foundation: Supporting Community Response and Resilience during COVID-19 - Starbucks Stories

To date, The Starbucks Foundation has contributed more than $8.5 million in response to COVID-19.

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To date, The Starbucks Foundation has contributed more than $8.5 million in response to COVID-19

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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGug">Some Good News</a> (SGN), an online news show created by actor and filmmaker John Krasinski and broadcast from his home office, started off as a delightfully DIY way to find and celebrate positive stories at a difficult time. In its first month, the show also became a global movement, with more than 4.2 million followers and a worldwide audience dedicated not just to watching good news, but to making good things happen wherever they are.

On Sunday’s episode, Krasinski announced the launch of a new online store, <a href="https://sbux.co/SGN">Some Good Merch</a>, where 100 percent of the proceeds benefit a host of good causes. He also announced a partnership with The Starbucks Foundation to provide even more impact for communities in need.

Here’s how it works: Shop for Some Good Merch, featuring items designed by the SGN community, and at checkout, pick the charity you’d like to support, and 100 percent of the proceeds from your purchase will go to that organization. Then comes the bonus round of giving – <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/starbucks-foundation">The Starbucks Foundation</a> will match the first $1 million in proceeds from SGN merch sales, sending much-needed support to charities driving COVID-19 relief efforts in communities around the world, including <a href="https://www.bgca.org/">Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America</a>, <a href="http://directrelief.org/">Direct Relief</a> and <a href="http://wck.org/">World Central Kitchen</a>.

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“Throughout this SGN experience, I’ve been blown away by all the stories of good happening all around us and the ways people are supporting each other and their communities. Launching the Some Good Merch store is another way to help our audiences give back to charities helping people in need,” Krasinski said. “The Starbucks Foundation’s commitment to match $1 million makes this good news great news.”

While the <a href="https://www.somegoodnews.com/">Some Good News</a> season may have concluded, you can watch this space, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/good-things-are-happening/">Good Things are Happening</a>, for a steady stream of positive and inspiring stories from around the world. And check out this clip from SGN Episode 8 to learn more about how SGN and The Starbucks Foundation are teaming up to support organizations making a big difference in communities around the world:

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The Starbucks Foundation teams with John Krasinski’s Some Good News - Starbucks Stories

The Starbucks Foundation teams with John Krasinski’s Some Good News

The Starbucks Foundation has teamed up with actor and filmmaker John Krasinski and his delightfully DIY show, Some Good News, to send support to charities driving COVID-19 relief efforts.

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Women have the potential to empower and transform lives in coffee- and tea-growing communities. 

Since International Women’s Day 2018, The Starbucks Foundation has been working toward a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2018/starbucks-partners-with-malala-fund-to-invest-in-women/">goal to empower 250,000 women and girls in origin communities by 2025</a>. This effort has <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/the-starbucks-foundations-origin-grants-to-empower-women-and-girls/">already made a difference</a> in the lives of more than 66,000 women through programs around women’s leadership, access to finance, and healthy homes in coffee- and tea-growing communities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Over the past year, The Starbucks Foundation has awarded additional Origin Grants to help continue to break down barriers to education, promote clean water and sanitation (WASH), and create economic opportunities for women and girls. This brings the total number of foundation grantees working in coffee and tea-growing communities to 18, with grants totaling more than $5 million.

The Starbucks Foundation 2020 Origin Grants recipients include:&nbsp; 

Days for Girls | Kenya, 2020 – 2022

To empower 15,000 women and girls in Kenya’s tea communities through sustainable menstrual kits, health education, and social enterprises that shatter stigmas and create dignity and opportunity. The program will promote menstrual hygiene awareness, increased access to supplies, local advocates, and income generating opportunities for women and girls.

Girl Rising | India, 2019 – 2020

To create a new curriculum focused on changing gender norms and building skills for women and girls from tea estates in Assam, India. In partnership with Barefoot College, the program will equip teachers and strengthen the self-confidence, leadership and life skills of 1,500 adolescent girls from tea estates.

Grounds for Health | Ethiopia, 2020 – 2022

To improve access to life saving health screening services in coffee communities in Ethiopia to reach and break barriers for more than 30,000 women. Through expansion of health centers, delivery of health screening equipment and skill building for local health workers, the program will help early detection and treatment of cervical cancer in coffee-producing communities.

Instituto del Café de Costa Rica (ICAFE) | Costa Rica, 2019 – 2022

To support safe places for children of migrant coffee pickers to stay during the day with nutritional resources and educational games and tools that promote improved hygiene and well-being at Casas de la Alegria. ICAFE and local partners will offer Health Week programming that will serve over 800 girls and boys who are three years old and above, teaching and encouraging them to adopt health and hygiene behaviors.&nbsp;

Malala Fund | Brazil and Ethiopia, 2020 – 2021

To invest in and partner with local education leaders and innovators working to advance girls' education in Ethiopia and Brazil. Support will help advocates in creating girl-friendly school environments in Ethiopia and improving resources, girls’ access to education and retention in school in Brazil.

Mercy Corps | India, 2020 – 2022

To improve the living conditions of tea-growing communities in Assam, India through improved clean water and circular sanitation solutions including infrastructure, education and behavior change. This pilot program will create a scalable sanitation model while providing access to sanitation infrastructure and water supply for 300 households and training more than 3,800 women and their families in sanitation and hygiene practices. 

Village Enterprise | Kenya, 2020 – 2022

To equip more than 2,000 women in tea growing regions of Kenya with the knowledge, tools and mentorship to start sustainable businesses and savings groups. The entrepreneurship program also includes business skills and financial literacy training and mentorship and will support women in launching more than 700 new small businesses. 

2019 Origin Grant recipients

<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/the-starbucks-foundations-origin-grants-to-empower-women-and-girls/">The Starbucks Foundation 2019 Origin Grant recipients</a> to empower women and girls in communities that grow coffee, tea and cocoa include: Barefoot College, CARE, Days for Girls, Instituto del Café de Costa Rica, Lutheran World Relief, Malala Fund, Roger Federer Foundation, Send a Cow, UNICEF Ethical Tea Partnership and World Relief.

The Starbucks Foundation awards 2020 Origin Grants to empower women and girls - Starbucks Stories

The Starbucks Foundation awards 2020 Origin Grants to empower women and girls

Since 2018, The Starbucks Foundation has been supporting women and girls in coffee- and tea-growing communities through a variety of grants to organizations working in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

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The Starbucks Foundation has a more than 20-year history of investing in communities across the U.S. and globally. Through Opportunity for All grants, The Starbucks Foundation helps support organizations creating pathways to lifelong opportunity and programs, which create job and training opportunities for people who may face barriers. 

In 2019, the Foundation awarded $1.4 million in Opportunity for All grants to 63 programs and organizations ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 per grant. Additionally, Starbucks partners (employees) can engage and volunteer with the grant recipients to help further their work in local communities. Since the Opportunity for All grants program launched in 2017, The Starbucks Foundation has provided a total of $4.1 million in grants.

Following are the 2019 Opportunity for All grant recipients:

Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA), Houston, TX

$30,000 grant to provide skills training and meaningful work experiences for disconnected youth.

Beautiful Day, Providence, RI

$20,000 grant to provide refugee youth with kitchen and farmer's market training.

Boston Private Industry Council, Boston, MA

$30,000 grant to assist supervisors, coaches, and teachers in helping young adults articulate the skills learned in a first job position and demonstrate their competencies and leadership.

The Bridge for Youth, Minneapolis, MN

$20,000 grant to give youth the opportunity to work and gain skills in apprenticeship positions and then advance to off-site employment.

Center on Halsted, Chicago, IL

$20,000 grant to reduce poverty within the LGBTQ community and increase diversity and inclusion in the workforce through a culinary training program.

The Choice Program at UMBC, Adelphi, MD

$20,000 grant to provide job and life skills training, coaching, and job placement services for youth.

City Year Detroit, Detroit, MI

$10,000 grant to support AmeriCorps members in nuturing a positive learning environment for students academic achievement and development.

City Year Memphis, Memphis, TN

$30,000 grant to support AmeriCorps members in leading students through employability and social-emotional skills development workshops for college and career readiness.

City Year Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI

$10,000 grant to support AmeriCorps members as tutors, mentors and role models who make a difference for students in low-performing schools.

City Year New York, New York, NY

$25,000 grant to provide leadership and career development to prepare AmeriCorps members to be exemplary leaders in the classroom and beyond.

City Year Orlando, Orlando, FL

$25,000 grant to support learning and development training for AmeriCorps members focused on service delivery and workforce development.

City Year Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

$50,000 grant to provide training to staff around diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and support AmeriCorps members in service delivery.

City Year Seattle King County, Seattle, WA

$20,000 grant to support the training and professional development of AmeriCorps members to positively impact&nbsp; students’ academic and personal outcomes.

College Track, Los Angeles, CA

$30,000 grant to empower students from underserved communities to graduate and unlock career success.

Community Empowerment Association, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA

$25,000 grant to support a workforce development and training program for local youth.

Dress for Success Denver, Denver, CO

$20,000 grant to prepare women residing in residential reentry centers for jobs, career expansion and leadership development.

Feeding Tampa Bay, Tampa, FL

$10,000 grant to provide job skills, industry certifications, and employment connections in culinary arts, logistics, and transportation sectors to individuals facing barriers.

Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, TX

$17,160 grant to support training and work opportunities for second chance trustees, seniors, and special needs youth in south Texas.

Friends of Refugees, Clarkston, GA

$25,000 grant to narrow the gap in college and career readiness for refugee youth through a green technology project. 

Goodwill of the Olympics &amp; Rainier Region, Tacoma, WA

$25,000 grant to provide job training, placement and career advancement support for youth and adults and provide career exposure in the food and coffee service industry.

Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago, IL

$30,000 grant to impact unemployed and underemployed individuals through skills and life training via a foodservice workforce training program.

Hearts to Nourish Hope, Riverdale, GA

$20,000 grant to support services and pathways to successful employment for youth and young adults interested in the trade and hospitality sectors.

Highline College Foundation, Des Moines, WA

$36,000 grant to increase career skill development and work experience opportunities for youth with disabilities.

Hillsides, Los Angeles, CA

$30,000 grant to support youththrough a&nbsp; job readiness course, vocational education, internships and culinary apprenticeships.

Home of the Innocents, Louisville, KY

$10,000 grant to help young adults find and maintain permanent housing, seek and maintain employment, pursue educational opportunities and learn essential life skills.

EmployIndy, Indianapolis, IN

$35,000 grant to support Opportunity Youth through recreational activities, academic and educational skills, industry trainings, and referrals to job placements.

The Hope Program, Brooklyn, NY

$25,000 grant to provide soft and hard skills training, wraparound services, job placement, and career advancement programs for hard-to-reach youth.

International Institute of New England, Boston, MA

$25,000 grant to provide specialized vocational skills training and job-placement services to low-income immigrants and refugees.

International Rescue Committee San Diego, San Diego, CA

$40,000 grant to serve youth through work readiness training, paid internships, basic skills instruction and civic engagement and community service opportunities.

Jewish Social Service Agency, Rockville, MD

$10,000 grant to provide job readiness training, employment matching and soft skills development support to clients with disabilities.

JobTrain, Inc., Menlo Park, CA

$25,000 grant to provide low income youth with the career training, skills upgrades, academic support, and soft skills they need to succeed.

Junior Achievement of Northern California, Walnut Creek, CA

$10,000 grant to equip students with the skills needed to compete in high-demand, high-growth careers and provide them with opportunities to connect with various companies and mentors.

Junior Achievement of Sacramento, Sacramento, CA

$15,000 grant to bring workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy programs to students from low to moderate-income households.

Junior Achievement of Washington, Spokane, WA, and Kootenai County, ID

$25,000 grant to ensure the participation of&nbsp; youth in&nbsp; transformative high school leadership programs.

$25,000 grant to prepare Youth for entry into the workforce and increase sustainable employment and self-sufficiency through professional development and hands-on job training.

Liberty's Kitchen, Inc., New Orleans, LA

$30,000 grant to build the interpersonal, professional, and leadership skills of young adults through a hospitality-based program.

The Matthews House, Fort Collins, CO

$25,000 grant to teach youth the skills necessary to obtain and maintain employment alongside social emotional skills and resiliency to foster independent living.

Mental Health Association Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK

$20,000 grant to equip adults in recovery with transferable skills and barista training while eliminating barriers to future employment.

Mile High Youth Corps, Denver, CO

$15,000 grant to support outreach and activities to engage Opportunity Youth in programs that offer real work experience, develop technical and soft skills, and promote self sufficiency

Monument Crisis Center, Concord, CA

$25,000 grant to provide career readiness and life skills education and hands-on job training for underserved individuals.

Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, Las Vegas, NV

$20,000 grant to support employment and wraparound services for unaccompanied homeless youth.

New Avenues for Youth, Portland, OR

$10,000 grant to provide job training and employment services for youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability.

Opportunity Village, Las Vegas, NV

$20,000 grant to provide pre-vocational training to help unemployed individuals with disabilities obtain community-based jobs.

PACE Center for Girls Broward, Wilton Manors, FL

$25,000 grant to provid girls employability skills and hands-on career development opportunities.

Prodigy Ventures Inc, Denver, CO

$20,000 grant to offer apprenticeships that help low-income and disconnected young adults secure meaningful, sustainable employment and experience economic mobility.

Refoundry, Los Angeles, CA, and New York, NY

$15,000 grant to provide a craft and entrepreneurship program to employ and train people from justice-impacted communities.

Salt Lake Neighborhood Housing Services, Salt Lake City, UT

$10,000 grant to provide pre-employment training and life skills coaching to Opportunity Youth .

The Support Group, Chicago, IL

grants

Helping the helpers: Starbucks partners inspire local impact in their communities

The Starbucks Foundation selects more than 400 nonprofits in latest round of Neighborhood Grants

The Starbucks Foundation: Supporting Community Response and Resilience during COVID-19

The Starbucks Foundation teams with John Krasinski’s Some Good News

The Starbucks Foundation awards 2020 Origin Grants to empower women and girls

The Starbucks Foundation’s 2019 Opportunity for All Grants

The Starbucks Foundation’s 2019 Origin Grants to Empower Women and Girls